Stories written by
Peter Smetacek
Peter Smetacek is a regular Scroll.in contributor
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The biggest threats to wildlife in India: Forest fires and an ‘unhealthy’ plantation model
All that is needed to restore Indian ecosystems is protection, not plantation.
Peter Smetacek
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India is ‘planting forests’ to forestall the impending water crisis. It is a fool's errand
Instead, for a start, we should allow forests to regrow naturally. Planting trees creates a plantation, not a forest.
Peter Smetacek
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In India, a move to put a monetary value to forests could spell disaster for protected landscapes
It allows policymakers to shrug their shoulders and de-notify protected areas for short-term economic benefits.
Peter Smetacek
Trending
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Kotak firm’s Rs 60 crore donation to BJP coincided with crucial RBI decisions on Kotak Mahindra Bank
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Bharti group’s Rs 150 crore bond donation to BJP coincided with Modi government’s telecom U-turn
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‘The Goat Life’ review: A protracted saga of suffering and survival
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How the high demand for coaching classes reflects India’s employment and economic distress
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When an emperor came calling on a newly independent India to learn from its early successes
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Damage control: Why Uttarakhand saw few wildfires this year
Almost all fires that did start were swiftly put out with nothing more than green boughs and leaf rakes.
Peter Smetacek
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Fighting floods: India needs to emphasise disaster prevention, not disaster management
It's time for a new approach.
Peter Smetacek
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What the culling of wild animals in some states can tell us about future water wars in India
We can reduce the pressure of wild animals on cultivation if we permit our forests, wildlands and sub-surface water systems to restore themselves.
Peter Smetacek
Video
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Watch: PTI posts video accusing male ANI reporter of assaulting and abusing its woman journalist
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Watch: Footballers give their jackets to young player escorts amidst heavy rain in New York City
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Caught on camera: Supermarket floor collapses, shopper falls through it
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‘Look at my wonderful costume’: Actor Anne Hathaway reacts to scenes from some of her popular movies
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Watch: Chef makes life-sized pencil and sharpener entirely from chocolate
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How a patch of forest land in Uttarakhand was quietly converted to commercial land
The process of urbanising Bhimtal’s catchment area has been steadily progressing, with commercial properties coming up on what was forest land.
Peter Smetacek
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So what's wrong in asking who set the forests on fire in Uttarakhand?
Why are there loud and vehement protests when one questions the 'naturalness' of the fires that are set to subvert the law or destroy evidence?
Peter Smetacek
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Missing the woods for the trees: How India's forests have been lost in translation – in plantations
The fact that a German and not an Englishman set up the Indian Forest Service had unintended but far-reaching consequences for India – and today's forest fires.
Peter Smetacek
The Reel
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‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ trailer: Diljit Dosanjh plays the slain Punjabi singer in Imtiaz Ali’s biopic
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Premiere date announced for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Heeramandi’
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‘The Goat Life’ review: A protracted saga of suffering and survival
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The secret ingredient of Pratik Gandhi’s success: ‘Salt to taste’
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‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ trailer: Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff team up for action thriller